“Ferenc Liszt once said of himself: ‘I am half-gypsy, half-Franciscan.’ An idealist and a seducer, yet at the same time a Franciscan, a Freemason, and an abbot. Controversy was everywhere within him,” says pianist Mūza Rubackytė in a publication prepared by Paliesius Manor, emphasizing that despite his inherent contrasts, F. Liszt remained faithful to Beauty, Goodness, and Spirituality throughout his life.
On October 17–18, Paliesius Manor will host the inaugural international piano music festival “EuroLiszt Festival,” with world-renowned pianist M. Rubackytė serving as its artistic director. This year’s festival theme, “Gypsy or Franciscan?”, invites us to look at F. Liszt not only as a composer and piano icon, but also as a European humanist, a modernist, and a figure who united diverse cultures, nations, and spiritual ideas.
For more than three decades, M. Rubackytė has been weaving international musical projects that connect Lithuania to the broader European musical tradition. A laureate of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts, she is the founder and artistic director of the Vilnius Piano Music Festival and the “EuroLiszt Festival,” as well as the president of the Lithuanian Ferenc Liszt Association, “Lisztuania.”
It is no coincidence that Paliesius Manor was chosen for the festival. In the 19th century, manors and salons were vital spaces in European musical life, where a concert became not merely a musical event, but a profound social and spiritual experience. It was in precisely such an environment that F. Liszt spent his touring “Glanzperiode,” performing for monarchs, aristocracy, and the intellectual centers of Europe. The festival seeks to revive this tradition at Paliesius Manor—to restore the intimate connection between performer and listener and to transform the manor into a vibrant, living space of international culture.
Ahead of the first “EuroLiszt Festival,” we sat down for a conversation with its artistic director, M. Rubackytė.
More about the concert: 10.17 – 10.18 | EuroLiszt Festival | “Gypsy or Franciscan?”
Source: LRT.LT
– Your work has been intertwined with F. Liszt for many years: in 1981, you won the prestigious Liszt-Bartók Competition in Budapest, your contribution to global Lisztiana has been recognized with numerous international awards, and you have been working with F. Liszt’s name and projects for over 15 years. How has your relationship with this figure evolved over the years?
F. Liszt entered my life early. I was eleven years old when I fell in love with him. Since then, his aura has never faded. And how could it? After all, this incredible personality blazed like a comet across the entire 19th century, inspiring and influencing not only the purpose and evolution of musical art but also the role of the artist’s ideal in society.
– And how has the attitude of listeners and young performers toward F. Liszt changed over this period? Do you notice differences between generations?
F. Liszt is a remarkably multifaceted figure. I often ask: “Do you love F. Liszt?” If so—which one? What kind? Our view of his life is often met with various misunderstandings. He became the world’s greatest virtuoso and could never quite shake off this achieved image.
Those who idolize him as a rock star are surprised by his religious works. The Lisztomaniacs who never forgave him for abandoning the stage after eight years of European virtuoso tours cannot believe in his value as an innovative composer. Those who saw him as a charmer, a seducer, never forgave him the abbot’s cassock. Thus, F. Liszt’s personality and legacy are boundless, relevant to all generations, and the better we know him, the more he enriches us.
– In your opinion, what in F. Liszt’s music still has the power to surprise us today?
Precisely those metamorphoses. We look for him in one place, and he surprises us in another entirely. Everything he touched, he turned to gold. The transcendental virtuosity of his music is not a goal, but a means to awaken poetic emotion within us. And this allows his music, without the need for thought or contemplation, to sweep us up and carry us away.
– How did the idea to organize the “EuroLiszt Festival” come about? Is it connected to the “Lisztofonija” competition you initiated?
In human life, it is important to have a guiding star, an ideal. To me, the role of an artist is a mission; it is not merely the opportunity to experience strong emotions alongside an audience through music. Today, as the world loses its values to the law of the jungle, ideals and the connection to them through the catharsis of art remain an inseparable, essential part of our spiritual lives.
“Lisztofonija” was born ten years ago, thanks to the like-minded members of the Lithuanian Liszt Association “Lisztuania” (ILA). The ILA (International Liszt Association) is an international society founded in 2011, of which “Lisztuania” is a co-founder, signatory, and benefactor. We believe that young people, by coming into contact with F. Liszt, will emancipate themselves not only in the art of the piano but also in the realm of human values.
F. Liszt is the embodiment of a true European. Through his concerts, he traveled all over Europe—even reaching St. Petersburg and Constantinople. His patriotism, generosity, charity, and his profound understanding and realization of humanity’s high mission on this earth serve as a resonant example for our times.
– The festival is called the “EuroLiszt Festival,” and the theme of the first edition is “Gypsy or Franciscan?” What lies behind these titles?
F. Liszt once said of himself: “I am half-gypsy, half-Franciscan.” An idealist and a seducer, yet at the same time a Franciscan, a Freemason, and an abbot. Controversy was everywhere within him, yet despite these contrasts, F. Liszt remained faithful to Beauty, Goodness, and Spirituality throughout his life.
– Why was the space of Paliesius Manor chosen for this festival?
During his “Glanzperiode,” which lasted eight years, F. Liszt traveled across Europe, visiting monarchs’ palaces, noble salons, and manors alike. On a personal note, before the deportations of the Soviet hell began, my family was settled in the Mažeikiai district, at Meižiai Manor. Our family’s manor salon used to host the renowned artists, writers, and poets of the day. Thus, for me, this is also a symbolic rehabilitation of my family’s cultural life.
We already share the successful experience of several “Lisztofonija” competitions with Paliesius Manor. And today, I am profoundly happy that the owner of Paliesius Manor, my dear friend Prof. Julius Ptašekas, enthusiastically supported this idea and gathered all possible resources to ensure our first “EuroLiszt Festival” would come to life.
Lithuania, having returned to the family of mother Europe, is not merely national—it is European, just as it was during the eras of our long and illustrious history. F. Liszt, through the extraordinary historical and geographical syncretism of his musical language, his mission, and his progressive ideas, encourages and inspires in us a European mindset, where creative inspiration intertwines with a deep respect for individuality, exactitude, and freedom. Following in F. Liszt’s footsteps, we take up the challenge of fostering a synergy among the cultures of all European nations. “You are a child of Europe,” Richard Wagner once said of him.
– How was the festival program put together? We will hear not only the music of F. Liszt but also R. Šerkšnytė’s “Pasakalija”—how does this piece connect with the rest of the program?
A passacaglia is an ancient musical form originating from a Spanish processional dance. According to the composer, it was inspired by the theme of the Stations of the Cross. To me, R. Šerkšnytė’s “Pasakalija” brings to mind F. Liszt’s “Laidotuvių eisena”.
“Via Crucis,” which you will hear at the closing concert of the “EuroLiszt” festival, is an incredibly modern, one might even say futuristic piece, so this dialogue is completely justified from both a musical and spiritual standpoint. F. Liszt, freely paraphrasing Goethe, used to say: “Even at the end of the road, the only worthy behavior is to look forward.”
We believe that, following the innovative example of F. Liszt’s character, including a contemporary Lithuanian work in the festival is only natural. We hope in the future to have the opportunity to commission Lithuanian composers for a work inspired by F. Liszt, written expressly for the festival.
At the festival, alongside you, we will see performances by pianists Thomas Kelly, Attila Szaniszló, Simonas Miknius, and the Vilnius University united choir, directed by Rasa Gelgotienė. Why were these specific performers chosen?
We chose the youth, for this is a gaze into the future. The artists of the first “EuroLiszt” festival are true connoisseurs of F. Liszt’s work. The Briton Thomas Kelly is a major laureate of the 40th international Utrecht Liszt Competition in 2026; the Lithuanian Simonas Miknius is the winner of the 5th national “Lisztofonija” Competition in 2025; and the Hungarian Attila Szaniszló is a rising national star. With the Vilnius University choir, we performed “Via Crucis” in 2025 at the Château de Compiègne. It is thanks to them that this piece was heard for the very first time in Lithuania.
– What message would you like to pass on to the upcoming audience?
Together with “Lisztofonija,” “EuroLiszt” is yet another new European child of “Lisztuania” here in Lithuania, awakening our reflections on Beauty, Goodness, and Generosity through F. Liszt, and, we hope, contributing to the creation of tomorrow’s world. We are true Europeans, the heirs of Europe—so thought Friedrich Nietzsche. Noblesse oblige (nobility obliges), said F. Liszt.